Tri Sigma Foundation

Throughout the month of March, Tri Sigma will celebrate members that are making history in their local chapters, their communities, and within the National Organization. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and join us in celebrating our outstanding members!

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” Visit womenshistorymonth.gov for more information.

International Badge Day was established in 1997 by the National Panhellenic Conference to set aside a day for women — in sororities in all different umbrella organizations — throughout the world to wear their sorority badges or letters in a celebration of sisterhood.

This year’s theme is: “Wear Your Letters on Your Heart.”

Join us on March 6th in celebrating by “Wearing Your Letters on Your Heart.” You can also wear your badge virtually by making it your profile picture on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. that day. Be sure to use #badgeday17 when posting.

Resources for International Badge Day are available on the NPC website: http://bit.ly/1acOj1y.

Start your week off with some of Alpha Chi chapter’s favorite study tips. Follow along on social media using #SigmaScholars #MonthofthScholar.

“I’ve found that utilizing professors’ office hours really makes a big difference. Not only can they help you better one-on-one, but keeping up positive relationships with your professors can open up many academic and professional opportunities down the road.” – Taylor Chadduck, Fall ‘13

“Your sisters can be one of your most valuable resources for college academic success. You’re surrounded by an entire chapter of women who have likely already taken the same classes you’re taking. Reach out to your sisters and you will be amazed at the amount of help they can offer.” – Megan Homme, Fall ‘14

“I color code my planner for each class at the beginning of the semester and look at it every weekend. Then I make a to-do list for my week.” – Hannah Weber, Fall ‘14

Join us in welcoming Jesi Wilcox as the Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications. Jesi joins Tri Sigma with a B.A. in Communications, emphasizing professional writing and graphic design, and over three years of communications and design experience.

“With my strong background in marketing and communications, I am confident that my professional experience will be well suited at Tri Sigma. During my time working in higher education, I was able to collaborate with several organizations to fulfill their marketing needs. I’m honored that I have been asked to join such a stellar team of women representing Tri Sigma, and I look forward to what lies ahead,” Jesi states.

The Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications is involved in both marketing and design efforts for the organization. They serve as the central marketing resource for collegiate and alumnae chapters, create in-house graphic design and promotional materials, and support marketing materials for our new chapters and leadership programs. Jesi will report to Mallory Borino, Director of Marketing and Communications.

Mallory shares, “We are very excited to welcome Jesi to our team. Her strong background in communications and design will bring a lot to our organization as we continue to tell the Sigma story and meet our member’s needs and produce visually engaging materials that reinforce our mission.”

Members of Eta Chi Chapter compete to submit the most fun selfies as part of their Sigma Study Selfies incentive program.

Members of Eta Chi Chapter at the University of Missouri are celebrating academic successes, one selfie at a time.

Each week, women send the Education Director a selfie of them studying either alone or with a friend. The members are also asked to post the selfie on one of their personal social media accounts, like Instagram or Snapchat, which helps promote the chapter and improve members’ study habits. During each chapter meeting, the Education Director projects her favorite Sigma Study Selfies for the chapter to enjoy, then selects winners to receive gifts cards to places such as Starbucks, Jamba Juice and more.

The Eta Chi Chapter also promotes academics through a new incentive program, Geek of the Week. Any time a member gets an A or a B on a test, project, quiz, paper or homework assignment, the Education Director enters the member into a drawing for a weekly prize. An A earns the member two entries and a B is worth one entry.

The chapter also provides sisters access to study files in the house with notes and resources from members who previously took a class in a particular subject. Members also post their class schedules on the chapter’s GIN system so they can work together to form study groups for their classes and majors.

The chapter has had the most success in seeing GPA improvements from proctored study hours. The Education Director has about 20 proctors who sign people in and out for study hours at varied times and locations around campus including the chapter house and library. The proctored hours provide members an additional way to spend time together while studying, as well as helping them schedule studying into their busy weeks.

Tri Sigma’s Day of Service is the second Saturday of March, which is March 11, 2017.  This day of service brings collegiate and alumnae together across the miles in service to actively demonstrate our commitment to citizenship and giving back to our communities.

Day of Service is about taking time out of our busy lives one day a year to purposefully spread compassion and good to our communities.  It’s the power of one multiplied by 100,000 (the number of living initiated members).  If you aren’t able to participate with your chapter, you can participate individually.  If you are unable to participate on the actual day, pick a day in March that works in your schedule.  No act of service is too small!  Just imagine the ripple effect if we all give just a little bit of time to help those in need.

It is simple to join this national effort!  Start planning your day of service now.  Questions: email Chris Smithhisler.

The Dunham Women of Character Institute will be held April 7-9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois, at the Chicago O’Hare Marriott. It is time for your chapter to select a delegate to attend. Not sure who should attend or how to select someone? Consider using the following ideas:

• Ask your chapter delegate from the previous year to talk about her experience at a chapter meeting to encourage attendance.
• Explain the Institute and have freshmen and sophomore members apply to attend. Have them answer the question:  Why should you attend the institute as our chapter representative?
• As a chapter, select one of your outstanding new members/freshmen to attend. The new member that is actively involved and shows potential for being an officer someday would be a perfect candidate.
• Remember, this woman will be asked to coordinate the chapter’s CHARACTER COUNTS! Week in October. You may wish to select a woman that is passionate about character and character education.
• Get your CAB involved and have them nominate members to attend.

Registration for the event opens on February 6 and closes March 6. Each chapter has paid for one member to attend as part of your spring bill. Chapters can opt to send additional members by paying an additional $150 per member.  Look for an email with the registration link on February 6 or go to trisigma.org for more information.

We are pleased to announce that 24 tuition scholarships are available to attend a 2017 session of the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI). UIFI’s main purpose is to inspire and educate the current generation of fraternity and sorority leaders to become dedicated, courageous, and principled builders of the future. UIFI is the premier leadership development experience for fraternity and sorority members, and is an experience unlike any other. It is not a conference. It is not a workshop. It is a uniquely holistic journey that you share with other interfraternal brothers and sisters. A UIFI graduate not only learns important leadership lessons, but also reaches deep inside him/herself to find their true fraternal calling. He or she is changed forever.  Click here to visit the NIC’s website to learn more.

To apply for a UIFI scholarship from Tri Sigma, please submit your completed application no later than February 27 at midnight EST. All applicants will be notified of their status on March 13. If selected, Tri Sigma will transfer your tuition funds directly to the NIC and you will be guided through the registration process. Please note that scholarship winners will be responsible for travel expenses to and from the program. Click here to submit your application now!

Tri Sigma members who attended UIFI last year had this to say about the experience:

“UIFI was truly life changing. I am forever grateful for the Foundation allowing me to have this experience. I feel empowered now more than ever to stand up for what is right and what I believe in even when the rest of the world may not agree. Through UIFI, I know that as a Tri Sigma woman of character, I have the ability to make the changes in the world that I wish to see. I have become a better friend, sister, and leader because of this experience and is something that I will hold close to my heart forever.”  Taylor Boudreaux, Gamma Pi

“UIFI was my all-time favorite collegiate experience. It inspired me in ways that nothing else has ever done before. It also gave me the chance to meet AMAZING people who were so much like me. I was able to work with them to find ways to improve fraternity and sorority life and become better leaders in our communities. All the friends I made were practically my best friends after the whole institute and we still keep in touch today. They continue to inspire and encourage me to be motivated in everything I do. I would not be who I am today without my experience at UIFI.”  Alyssa Piecko, Nu

“Attending UIFI was such an incredibly empowering and uplifting experience not only as a student leader but as a sorority woman. Those 5 days spent in Indiana, surrounded by other members of the Greek community driven to leave a positive impact, not only made me optimistic for the future but excited to become the agents of change we’ve been taught to be.” Kristy Pardo, Epsilon Chi

“At UIFI we discussed change, leadership, and values that would enhance our Greek community back home. I learned about privilege, commitment, and my identity as a sorority woman. I met and connected with men and women all over the United States who were just as passionate about the Greek community as I was. UIFI was inspiring, challenging, and an opportunity unlike any other that I will never forget!” -Taylor Barrick/UIFI 2016

Check out this video about UIFI that features Tri Sigma members! Questions should be directed to Chris Smithhisler.

Collegiate Chapter Presidents joined together January 5-8 in Dulles, Virginia, to learn and lead using the values of Tri Sigma as their guide. Presidents had the opportunity to network with sisters from every collegiate chapter as well as leading alumnae who will coach them to success in their chapter role.

Presidents developed valuable leadership skills, learned to harness their strengths, and gain confidence to guide their chapters through change while addressing current issues relevant to collegiate women. This program continues our long-standing tradition of unifying our leaders under the mission, vision and values of our sisterhood while providing an exceptional experience that leaves each participant, each sister, each President, empowered.

Here’s what several presidents had to say about their experience at the first Presidents Academy:

Kaitlynn May, Gamma Psi: “My favorite part of Presidents Academy was the focus on our strengths and the general acceptance from all the presidents! We all accept that we have different strengths, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all support each other and discuss what is going to help us achieve the most we can. The positive energy and flow of creativity always inspires me because I know hundreds of empowered women stand behind me. I am thankful to have a support system across the country to always help move us Ever Forward!”

Denicia Weems, Eta Pi: “Presidents Academy was and always will be one of the most fulfilling and honorable moments of a lifetime. It was an experience full of love, laughter, bonding, encouragement, wisdom and so much more. Arriving at Presidents Academy, I didn’t realize aside from myself, I came so empty handed. Leaving Presidents Academy, I left with an abundance of courage, knowledge and friendships to take back home; all of which would help me guide my chapter, my sisters and my legacy as a leader I’ve always dreamed and my sisters believed I can be.”

Lilli Kulak, Epsilon Chi: “It was such an incredible experience getting to meet and collaborate with Tri Sigma Chapter Presidents from across the country. I was so uplifted by the strength and resilience of the leaders in our organization, and it was so comforting to know that we consistently strive to move our organization forward both at a national and local level. It was also so inspiring to engage with alumnae who remain active in our sisterhood by facilitating national programming and helping our collegians develop their leadership skills. Presidents Academy gave me the opportunity to refocus on our national values and reflect on what I want my legacy to be, and I’m so grateful that I got to bring the benefits of that experience back to my chapter.”

Brooke DiPalma, Epsilon Upsilon, turned the tragedy of losing her father into a movement to encourage others to stand up against bullying, end depression and prevent suicide.

At 14, Brooke lost her father to suicide. Her father, Joseph DiPalma, dropped her off at school one morning and told her he loved her, and Brooke told him the same. Later in the day on April 23, 2010, Brooke learned of her father’s death by returning home to caution tape, police detectives and distraught family members.

Brooke DiPalma, Epsilon Upsilon, poses in Florence, Italy, with her P.S. I Love You Day shirt.

Just one month and one day before her father’s death, Brooke’s hometown of West Islip, New York, was shaken by the suicide of a high school senior. The two deaths united the close-knit community.

Seven months after losing her father, Brooke couldn’t stop thinking about those last words she and her father spoke to one another, “I love you.” She decided to use those words to create P.S. I Love You Day, with the help of family and classmates.

P.S. I Love You Day is held the second Friday of each February. In 2017, more than 100 schools participated. Brooke provides schools with various activities to celebrate the day, and loves to see photos of the groups who participate by wearing purple.

Why wear purple? When Brooke and her friends first created P.S. I Love You Day, they had several colors in mind. The packet they turned in to the principal with their idea to create this day was written in purple ink. Brooke said the color seemed perfect to the group because it is a warm, beautiful color.

Brooke recently shared her story about P.S. I Love You Day while attending a session of the Prevention Institute, and was moved by how many sisters agreed to share her mission with their chapters. If your chapter is interested in participating next year and wants to learn more, visit the website at psiloveyouday.net.